GRANDPARENT SCAM We so appreciate hearing from our residents and it’s is sad that this scam keeps occurring but together, by sharing with your neighbors to be wary, we can hopefully end it for good.
My Crime Reports have mentioned it before but be sure your elderly parents, grandparents, neighbors know about the grandparent telephone scam - apparently it's still around. The Grandparent Scam - Don’t Let It Happen to You (Source: FBI) 04/02/12 You’re a grandparent, and you get a phone call or an e-mail from someone who identifies himself as your grandson. “I’ve been arrested in another country,” he says, “and need money wired quickly to pay my bail. And oh by the way, don’t tell my mom or dad because they’ll only get upset!” This is an example of what’s come to be known as “the grandparent scam”--yet another fraud that preys on the elderly, this time by taking advantage of their love and concern for their grandchildren. The grandparent scam has been around for a few years—our Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has been receiving reports about it since 2008. But the scam and scam artists have become more sophisticated. Thanks to the Internet and social networking sites, a criminal can sometimes uncover personal information about their targets, which makes the impersonations more believable. For example, the actual grandson may mention on his social networking site that he’s a photographer who often travels to Mexico. When contacting the grandparents, the phony grandson will say he’s calling from Mexico, where someone stole his camera equipment and passport. Common scenarios include:
And, our advice to avoid being victimized in the first place:
SECURITY ALERT: U. S. Census Scam The U.S. Census Bureau goes to great lengths to protect your information. Below are tips to help you. If you suspect “phishing” or other scams, contact the Regional Office for your state or National Processing Center immediately for verification and further instructions. Phishing Phishing is the criminal act of trying to get your information - usernames, passwords, social security numbers, and bank account or credit card account details - by pretending to be an entity you trust. Phishing e-mails often direct you to a website that looks real, but is fake, and may be infected with malware. Other Scams You may be the victim of a scam if someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau asks you for certain information. The Census Bureau never asks for:
Should you suspect fraudulent activity, please do the following
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AuthorMarcelle Herrera Archives
March 2018
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